1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a useful lipid metabolism improving medicinal composition. More particularly, this invention relates to a useful lipid metabolism improving medicinal composition containing an ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate compound or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hyperlipidemia is generally considered to be a risk factor for arteriosclerosis. It is also known that arteriosclerotic changes occur as plasma lipids, particularly cholesterol, adhere to, and become deposited on, the arterial wall. Recent advances in research in this field have shown that an increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), among plasma lipids, plays a major role in the pathogenesis off arteriosclerosis, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL) contributes to the removal and decomposition of the cholesterol which has been deposited on the vascular wall and cell membrane, thus acting as an antiarteriosclerotic factor.
Therefore, with the view of treating and preventing hyperlipidemia, which may be of divergent etiologies, and of arteriosclerosis and other diseases associated with hyperlipidemia, efforts are being made to develop blood cholesterol-lowering drugs, particularly drugs which would reduce the low-density lipoprotein level and increase the high-density lipoprotein level in the blood.
Under the circumstances, the inventors of this invention explored for compounds having potent lipid metabolism-improving activity. As a consequence, the inventors discovered that certain ascorbyl tocopheryl diester compounds of phosphoric acid and their pharmacologically acceptable salts have meritorious lipid metabolism-improving activity, for example the action to reduce LDL and increase HDL effectively and, based on this finding, did further research to complete this invention.